The narrative is straightforward: an unscrupulous book scout discovers a potentially valuable find buried in an obscure estate in the country; its exact location isn't specified in the narrative. That book scout fakes up some duplicates, exchanges them for the originals, and is about to profit from his find when supernatural forces intervene.
The supernatural forces in this instance have to do with Oliver Cromwell. The woman who owned the prayer books - and who probably commissioned their publication - loathed Cromwell and all he stood for. She prayed, on the anniversary of Cromwell's birth, for his ruin, and the ruin of his heirs and their heirs. She wanted him to suffer right up to the moment of death and then burn in Hell eternally. Ever since then there has been a presence in the chapel, something that ensures the prayer books are always kept open to Psalm 109. The chapel doors may be locked, the windows barred, the books kept under cloth and closed - yet whenever the chapel's opened, there they are, open to Psalm 109, as if whatever is in there constantly prays for Cromwell's torment.
Whatever it is has a physical presence. ... with the feeling I have as there's someone settin' here - no, it's the other side, just within the screen - and looking' at me all the time I'm dustin' in the gallery and pews. This from the housekeeper, Mrs. Porter. But I never yet see nothin' worse than myself, as the sayin' goes, and I kindly hope I never may.
A Cold Heart
In 1875 SS Schiller, a brand new German ocean liner and one of the largest of her era, sinks in a storm not far from the Isles of Scilly. She was en route from New York to Hamburg, and smacked up on a reef while blinded by thick fog. The captain tried to pull her off, but ripped the guts out of her in the process. Panic ensued as the passengers fought to get aboard the lifeboats. Captain Thomas tried to enforce order with pistol and sword, as Schiller was flung repeatedly up on the rocks by storm swells. Only two lifeboats launched, carrying 27 people in all. These made it safely to shore. Many of the women and children were herded into the Schiller's deck house to shelter while they awaited rescue, but by now the storm was all but unstoppable and the deck house was swept completely away along with all inside. The remainder aboard ship hid where they could, most of them drowning or succumbing to hypothermia.
Rescue was impossible until the following morning, due to storm conditions. In the end only 37 people survived; the 27 who made their escape in the boats, and a few others who managed to cling to the wreckage. The remaining crew and passengers, 335 souls, drowned.
Gamifying: Among the dead was American missionary and philanthropist Hanna Wilcox, on her way to Europe with two friends. All three drowned or succumbed to cold. However Wilcox's leather-bound prayer books, with her signature and annotations, survived.
Though water damaged, the books are valuable as memorabilia of a famous wreck. There are always collectors interested in that kind of morbid ephemera. When the Bookhounds spot the prayer books at an auction, they soon realize their value. They may regret beating out the Ring this time as the prayer books have a peculiar history: they are haunted by three Cold Ones. [from the main book's description, Cold Ones can be transformed humans created at the whim of the Great Old One Ithaqua. It was the Old One that flung the Schiller on the rocks, and heard the despairing prayers of Wilcox and her friends.]
These entities have an all-encompassing hatred for stockholders and directors of the Transatlantic Steam Navigation Line, which owned the Schiller. They also don't like anyone who mistreats the Prayer Books. Their usual tactic is to get someone to bring the books within range of a target, so they can get to work. Which begs the question: did the Book Hounds buy the Prayer Books, or are they being manipulated into doing the Cold Ones' work for them?
Enjoy!
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